1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sailing device suitable for use in a pleasure boat narrow in width such as a canoe, a kayak, a faltboat or the like, which is easily controlled without applying any inclination moment to the boat and capable of being unfolded and folded by simple operation of a user.
2. Prior Art
In small sailboats such as a dinghy equipped with a mast fixedly mounted to the hull, the boat tends to be fallen down by an inclination moment acting thereon when received a side wind. In such an instance, the user leans windward out of the hull for balance against the inclination moment. In contrast with such sailboats, a pleasure boat narrow in width such as a canoe, a kayak, a faltboat or the like is weak against a side wind since a restoring force against traverse tilt is very small. Accordingly, as a large sail may not be set on the boat, a small sail such as a wrapping cloth is set on the boat perpendicularly to a direction of travel for sailing in a tailwind. To avoid such a problem caused by an inclination moment, proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 8-168550 is a sailing device such as a kite lifted with a single string. The sailing device comprises a sail which is operated by means of a plurality of control lines connected thereto.
Problem to be Solved:
In use of the sailing device proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 8-168550, there will occur a difficulty in operation of the plural control lines. As the sail is indirectly operated through the plural control lines, it is difficult to cope with sudden change of a wind direction, and it is unable to rise the sail in a gentle wind. In addition, it is not easy to sail near the adverse wind, and it takes a time for a user to fold the sail on the boat. A primary object,of the present invention is to solve the foregoing problems.
Means for Solution of the Problem and Useful Effects Thereof:
According to the present invention, the object is accomplished by providing a sailing device suitable for use in a pleasure boat, which comprises a sail portion composed of a backbone, a pair of left and right spars extending obliquely backward from the fore end of the backbone and a sail-cloth attached at the fore edge thereof to the pair of left and right spars and at the aft end thereof to the aft end of the backbone, and a strut extending downward from the fore end of the backbone, the lower end of the strut being directly mounted on the boat hull for rise and fall or indirectly attached to the boat hull by support of a user. In use of the sailing device, an inclination moment applied to the boat hull becomes small even when received a side wind. Accordingly, a possibility of overturning would become extremely small even if the sail portion was enlarged. As the strut is supported by the user's hands in use of the sailing device, the sail portion can be operated by the user in a stable condition even in a gentle wind. Additionally, as the sail portion is directly operated by the user, it is able to promptly cope with sudden change of the wind direction.
In the sailing device, it is preferable that left and right wing sections of the sail portion each are provided with a dihedral angle to enhance directional stability and controllability of the sail portion against the wind. In a practical embodiment of the sailing device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the left and right spars are connected at their one ends to the fore end of the backbone for tilt movement, a slider is mounted on an intermediate portion of the backbone for slide movement in a longitudinal direction of the backbone, left and right rods are pivoted at their one ends to each intermediate portion of the spars and at their other ends to the slider, and a lower rod is pivoted at its one end to an intermediate portion of the strut and at its other end to the slider, wherein the slider is moveable in the longitudinal direction of said backbone to extend the spars obliquely backward from the fore end of the backbone and to fold the spars along the backbone, the slider being engageable with a stopper hook fixed to the fore portion of the backbone when the strut is unfolded downward from the fore end of the backbone and is folded along said backbone. With such arrangement as described above, the sailing device can be easily folded when the wind has fallen or grown stronger.